2023 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship Qualifiers Revealed
Nov 13, 2023
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – [First & Second Round Schedule] The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially announced the teams and pairings for the 2023 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship. The 40-team field will kick things off in the NAIA National Championship First & Second Rounds presented by Select Sport America, at 16 campus locations on November 16-18.
The 2023 NAIA National Championship Second Round winners will meet up in Foley, Ala., at the NAIA National Championship final site event. The final site takes place at the Foley Sports Tourism Championship Stadium from November 27 – December 4, 2023, hosted by Gulf Shores/Orange Beach Sports & Events.
This year’s championship field includes 27 automatic qualifiers and 13 at-large selections. Automatic berths were given to teams that either won their respective conference tournament title, regular-season championship, or finished runner-up at the conference tournament or regular season as determined by each conference qualification plan. The at-large bids were determined by the NAIA Women’s Soccer National Selection Committee. This committee consists of one representative from each geographical area, a representative from the National Administrative Council, the president of the NAIA Women’s Soccer Coaches Association, and three at-large members. The committee evaluated teams throughout the year on various criteria.
All championship first and second round matches will be video streamed by the host.
The NAIA Network – the association’s official video streaming home – will broadcast 14 matches live at the NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship final site in Foley, Ala., and the championship match will be on ESPN3. The NAIA Network, powered by PrestoSports, allows users access to live video, statistics, and social interaction on a number of devices, including mobile. Single-day passes can be purchased for $9.95, while an all-championship tournament package is available at $34.95.
Qualifier Highlights
Life (Ga.), LSU Alexandria (La.), OUAZ (Ariz.), UC Merced (Calif.), and Xavier (La.) all qualified for the first time in program history.
Of the 40-team field, Siena Heights ends the longest national tournament field drought, of six years dating back to the 2017 season.
Tenneesse Southern returns in 2023 for their 20th national tournament appearance.
Spring Arbor (Mich.) and Tennessee Southern both enter the 40th Women’s Soccer National Championship field with three Red Banners.
William Carey (Miss.) enters the national tournament as the only team to reach 20 wins this season.
Spring Arbor (Mich.) leads the field with an overall tournament record of 34-9-3.
Aquinas (Mich.), Siena Heights (Mich.), Spring Arbor (Mich.), and William Carey (Miss.) are the only undefeated teams left in the field.
For a full look at all of the First & Second Round tournaments and matchups, click HERE
Institution
Qualification Method
Season Record
Last
Qualified
Appearances
Championship
Record
Titles
Aquinas (Mich.) At-Large 15-0-4 2022 6 7-5-0 0
Benedictine (Kan.) At-Large 12-4-4 2021 11 12-8-3 0
Bethel (Tenn.) At-Large 11-3-2 2020 6 3-4-1 0
Central Methodist (Mo.) Heart of America Athletic Conference Regular Season Champion 17-2-1 2022 7 7-5-2 0
College of Idaho Cascade Collegiate Conference Regular Season/Tournament Champion 18-1-2 2022 4 1-3-0 0
Columbia (Mo.) American Midwest Conference Tournament Champion 17-1-1 2022 11 5-8-4 0
Cumberland (Tenn.) Mid-South Conference Tournament Champion 15-1-3 2022 9 9-8-0 0
Cumberlands (Ky.) At-Large 13-1-2 2022 5 7-4-1 0
Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) California Pacific Conference Regular Season Champion 13-3-2 2022 8 4-5-3 0
Friends (Kan.) Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Runners-Up 13-4-4 2021 3 0-2-0 0
Georgia Gwinnett Continental Athletic Conference (Independents) Tournament Champion 6-12-1 2022 8 2-7-0 0
Hastings (Neb.) Great Plains Athletic Conference Regular Season Champion 16-2-2 2022 12 6-11-2 0
Hope International (Calif.) Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament Champion 14-3-2 2021 3 0-1-0 0
Indiana Wesleyan At-Large 15-2-4 2022 11 7-10-0 0
IU Kokomo (Ind.) River States Conference Tournament Champion 12-3-6 2022 2 0-1-0 0
John Brown (Ark.) Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament Champion 17-2-1 2022 10 4-7-2 0
Keiser (Fla.) At-Large 12-6-2 2022 18 30-15-1 0
Life (Ga.) At-Large 12-4-2 N/A 1 0-0-0 0
LSU Alexandria (La.) Red River Athletic Conference Tournament Champion 16-5-0 N/A 1 0-0-0 0
Marian (Ind.) At-Large 13-3-3 2022 6 12-4-2 0
Midland (Neb.) Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament Champion 13-4-4 2019 4 1-2-1 0
Missouri Valley Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament Champion 15-4-2 2022 5 4-3-1 0
Northwest (Wash.) Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament Runner Up 10-6-3 2022 5 4-4-1 0
Northwestern Ohio Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament Champion 13-5-3 2021 9 17-7-0 1
Oklahoma Wesleyan Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Regular Season/Tournament Champions 16-2-3 2022 6 6-4-1 0
Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) At-Large 11-4-4 2022 9 6-7-2 0
OUAZ (Ariz.) At-Large 13-3-1 N/A 1 N/A 0
SCAD Savannah (Ga.) The Sun Conference Tournament Champion 17-1-2 2022 5 1-4-0 0
Siena Heights (Mich.) Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Regular Season Champion 14-0-6 2017 8 2-8-0 0
Southeastern (Fla.) At-Large 11-5-2 2022 7 11-6-0 0
Spring Arbor (Mich.) Crossroads League Tournament Champion 17-0-2 2022 15 34-9-3 3
St. Ambrose (Iowa) Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Regular Season/Tournament Champions 15-4-0 2021 6 1-5-0 0
St. Thomas (Fla.) At-Large 13-4-2 2021 7 2-8-0 0
Tennessee Southern (Tenn.) At-Large 14-4-2 2022 20 32-12-7 3
Tennessee Wesleyan Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament Runner Up 16-2-1 2019 6 2-5-0 0
Trinity Christian (Ill.) Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Runner Up 12-3-4 2020 7 4-5-1 0
Truett McConnell (Ga.) Appalachian Athletic Conference Regular Season Champion 17-2-2 2022 6 1-5-0 0
UC Merced (Calif.) California Pacific Conference Tournament Champion 15-2-0 N/A 1 0-0-0 0
William Carey (Miss.) Southern States Tournament Champion 20-0-0 2020 15 28-12-3 1
Xavier (La.) Red River Athletic Conference Regular Season Champion 12-5-0 N/A 1 0-0-0 0